Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1923 - Mar 1924)

30 EXHIBITORS HERALD Many Important Changes in the Personnel of Studios John Jasper New General Manager of Principal; Harry Kerr Now With Metro By HARRY HAMMOND BEALL HOLLYWOOD, February 5. — The personnel of studio executives this week took on a decided change on the map of Hollywood. John Jasper became general manager of the Principal Pictures studio. Harry Kerr is the new assistant general manager of Metro. Edward de B. Newman is now in full swing as Tom Ince's right bower at the Culver City production plant of T. H. I. The latest appointment announced was that of Jasper's new role with Principal. Sol Lesser has just given it out. Jasper was originally Charlie Chaplin's manager, and it was Jasper who promoted and organized the Hollywood studios, one of the film colonies largest leasing plants. He recently sold out to Tompkins and Nickalaus of the Standard Film Laboratories, who installed William Sistrum as general manager. Lesser and Rosenberg are being congratulated on the recent addition to their official family, for Jasper is regarded as a pioneer in the game. KERR has been casting director at Metro for some time. Before that he was a big man in the Universal organization. His new duties will be as chief aide to Joseph Engle. senior vice-president of Metro, and studio general manager. He is one of the most popular men in Hollywood. Newman succeeds Clark Thomas at Ince. Thomas resigned to become the active head of the Cinema Mercantile company, after being second in command to "Thomas H." for several years. Before entering pictures he was an executive with the Packard Motor Car company in Detroit, hailing originally from Port Huron, the little hamlet, made famous in California through the erudite Guy Price, dramatic and motion picture editor of the Los Angeles Evening Herald. Newman came west tirst to be associated with John Emmett McCormick in the coast management of Associated First National productions. Although a comparative newcomer he has made a legion of friends in film circles here. George Kreer, former manager of Grauman's Hollywood theatre, has taken over the active management of the Green Mill, one of the more famed night life cafes on Washington boulevard near Culver City, where he is now playing host to the many followers he already had in the motion picture industry. * * * The "independents" are having tlieir innings in the production field now. Several new companies have actually started "shooting" hereabouts and it surely looks like a big independent year. Among the various independent features that will be released this year and which emanated from this city are "Superstition," a drama of the high seas, filmed by Creative Productions; "Listen, Lester," an adaptation of the famous farce comedy of the speaking stage, now being produced by Sacramento Pictures Corporation, and scores of other equally attractive pictures. * * * At least twelve all-star special productions will be turned out by Phil Goldstone for the season 1924-'25. Each picture will be a real "special," says Phil, and there is a probability that he may do 52 program productions in addition for a wellknown distributor. "It looks like the biggest year ever," says Goldstone, who. until recently, was not what you might term a member of the optimists' club. "What shall we do with the dough?" is the burning question that confronts the members of the Wampas nowadays. With 20,000 simoleons in their kick, the press agents are torn between a desire to invest their Frolic earnings in real estate or to put it into a sinking fund for future use. With the annual election of the Western Motion Picture Advertisers due next month several of the candidates for office are incorporating wise suggestions pertaining to the ultimate disposal of the funds in their platform speeches. * * * And now Pete Smith is the hero of the hour. It was he who handled all disagreeable financial details of the ball, and made himself a persona non grata with certain members by his tight hold on the purse strings. But at this writing, due to the tremendous profits, Peter Gridley is being hailed on all sides as the fiscal Napoleon, and it is possible he may be sent to New York to become the "W'ill Hays of Wall street." And so it goes. * * • Incidentally, Pete and M.ark Larkin have both resigned from the race for president of the W. M. P. A. in favor of Harry Wilson. Harry, chief horn footer for Sol Lesser, has the reputation of being the hardest working P. A. in Hollywood, and yet. despite all his activities for Principal Pictures, he manages to find time for "Wampas" duties whenever called to the front for special ser\nce. It was Harry who put on all the entertainment features at the Wampas frolic. * * * Garrett Graham and Roy Miller are in the race for vice prexy. It is a battle of Culver City vs. the downtown interests. Roy is part ow-ner and press director for the California and Miller theatres, while Graham is Hal Roach's able "tell the world" bov. * * * Ray Davidson is the self-nominated candidate for secretary, and considers himself as good as elected, despite the fact that Thomas Englar. who writes funny paragraphs about "Ham" Hamilton and Jack White and Arthur Hagerinan, the boy wonder of LIniversal. are "agin" him. The last fwo were nominees of the nominating committee. * * * Because of Adam Hull Shirk's ability to put one five dollar bill in a plug hat and draw out two. he was chosen as candidate for treasurer to run against Ray Coffin. Tully's official broadcaster. With February 16, 1924 $30,000 in the till the post of treasurer is to be no small responsibility. Shirk is ^niblicity director and scenario editor for Grand-Asher, and one of Hollywood's leading parlor prestidigitators. * * * "Les'' Theuerkauf, general manager of the Universal exchange in L. A., is boasting of the fact that "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was the first picture ever to run a second week in Phoenix. Quite a compliment for Wallace Worsley, its director, n'cest pas? * * * Garton D. Keyston, assistant United States district attorney in San Francisco, held a confab this week with Lambert Hillyer at Ince on "Those Who Dance," starring Blanche Sweet, a picture which shows how unwise it is to pick a bootlegger without a pedigree. Keyston is in charge of abatement cases under the Volstead act in S. F., and he and Hillyer held quite an informative chat. It was Keyston's first visit to a studio, and gave the young barrister quite a "kick." * + * The past week in Los Angeles witnessed great rivalry among the various picture houses where some of the best screen attractions produced during the past year were being offered in competition. At Loew's State, "Black Oxen" was the headliner, while "Scaramouche" is running at the Criterion theatre. "The Ten Commandments" is, of course, still at Grauman's Hollywood Egyptian and "The Eternal City" is the stellar attraction at Grauman's Million Dollar theatre. .\nd Ernst Lubitsch's "The Marriage Circle" is beckoning the crowds to the Rialto. * t * Dorothy Phillips, who has been visiting relatives in Baltimore since the death of her husband, Allen Holubar, famed director, a few months ago, will return to Hollywood this month and will probably resume her career in the picture world. The star's last appearance on the screen was in "Slander the Woman," an adaptation of the novel "The White Frontier," filmed by her late husband for First National release. Independents to Have All Lowell Productions, Says Head of Company (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Feb. 5.— Word comes from the offices of Lowell Productions, Inc., through their president, John Lowell, that their latest production, "Floodgates." will be distributed on the Independent market by their own force. Mr. Lowell said that after considering many offers from national and independent distributing organizations, he has come to the conclusion that hy marketing his own products direct to the independent exchanges, he will be better able to serve the exchanges and through them the exhibitors. He further stated that this step had been taken only after mature consideration and that it must not in any way be considered as a reflection on any of the distributing firms, as his business relations with them had always been very satisfactory. John Lowell I